Obama Has One Chance to Get Infrastructure Spending Right

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Obama Has One Chance to Get Infrastructure Spending Right

The Obama Administration must think wisely before doling out money for infrastructure projects because it has just once chance to get it right, transportation and urban-planning experts say.

The warning comes as the president-elect promises the largest public-works spending spree since the construction of the Interstate Highway System 50 years ago. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vows to move quickly on a bill that could top $600 billion. It's good news for a national infrastructure system that is crumbling beneath our feet, but a panel of experts calling itself America 2050 urges Obama to move cautiously. Haphazard, poorly planned spending will undermine the impact and efficiency of any spending, the experts warn.

Most people agree a major investment is long overdue, and many say a massive public works program could bolster the sagging economy. "From both an infrastructure needs and an economic stimulus standpoint, you can make a strong case for infrastructure spending," says economist David Wang.

He's right, but as Transportation Secretary Mary Peters notes, our habit of throwing cash at ill-conceived projects doesn't work and must stop. “The United States is one of the few countries in the world to make the majority of its transportation investments without first conducting any kind of economic analysis to determine whether those investments will have any practical benefits," she told told The New York Times. "The results are telling."

In an effort to break this cycle, America 2050 offers a five-point infrastructure spending manifesto that makes a lot of sense.

Fix what's broken – Before we start dumping money and resources into splashy new projects, repair what we already have. Fixing decrepit bridges and crumbling roads isn't as sexy as building a high-speed rail line or water treatment plant, but it must come first.

Phase it in – Just as you can't run a marathon without training, you can't spend hundreds of billions of dollars without planning. Although there are many "shovel ready"projects we must tackle, Obama must consider the big picture. Establishing clear goals, setting timelines for reaching them and building capacity before digging in will increase the chance of project success.

Go green – Infrastructure projects that keep us chained to fossil fuels won't do much good in the long run. Yes, we must fix our roads and bridges, but we also must prioritize initiatives that will protect the environment and push us toward sustainable energy and transportation.

Train the workforce – Creating jobs through infrastructure spending is more difficult than simply handing out shovels. America 2050 calls for a methodical job training program to provide workers with the skills they need to do the job and make sure we get top-notch work out of them.

__Count __– Developing metrics to measure the effectiveness of completed projects will help ensure smart spending on future projects. This one seems like a no-brainer.

Critics of big infrastructure spending worry such programs invite corruption and waste and often point to the WorksProgress Administration as an example. America 2050 has a plan to address that as well. It suggests creating a National Recovery and Renewal Council that would exist solely to cut red tape and provide strict accountability for every dollar spent. Such a panel would include representatives of local, state and federal governments along with private sector interests and report directly to the White House.

In all the excitement about the benefits infrastructure spending might bring, many forget that there are a million ways to get it wrong but only one chance to get it right.